Fuel-feeding apparatus



FUEL FEEDING APPARATUS Filed March 8, 1924 'v 22 Fig.3.

Fig.2.

Fig.1.

Patented Feb. 17, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE. Y

'ADLASKA E. LAYTON, or oonomnos, 0111c.

FUEL}FEEDING APPARATUS.

Application filed March 8, 1924. Serial No. 697,827.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, ADLAsKA E. LAYTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohi0,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fuel-Feeding Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

1 The object of this invention is more especially to provide improved means for feeding a fuel, such as pulverized coal, mixed with air to a burner, said means including (a) provision for regulating the proportion of fuel to the air supplied, ((2) means for insuring uniformity of the supply of fuel when regulated, and (0) various other features which together with those specially referred to are shown and set forth and finally pointed out in the claims.

The invention is embodied in the speclfic example herein 'set forth but can be otherwise embodied.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus with parts in section and parts omitted.

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation with part-s in section looking toward'the right hand side of Fig. 1 showing parts not seen in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of an adjustable valve for regulating the discharge of fuel from the hopper.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line IV-IV Fi 1.

Tn the views 10 designates a hopper of inverted pyramidoidal form to receive the supply of pulverized fuel. This hopper has at its lower end an elongated bearing of semicircular form in cross section provided with an opening 11 from which leadsa pipe 12. The character 13 designates a fan chest containing a fan 14;. From an opening in the side of the fan chest opposite the axis of the fan extends a cylindrical chamber 15;.

having an air inlet tube 16. The pipe 12 extends into the chamber 15 and its discharge end opens toward the center portion of the side of the fan so that the fuel conducted from the hopper by the pipe 12 is discharged into the fan chamber along with air drawn through the tube 16. The fan chest is shown as supported on the floor and the cylindrical chamber 15 is also supported upon the floor but by a stout horse 17. The hopper 10 is shown as braced by suitable members 18 extending between and connect- V the direction of the length of the valve. Said valve is provided with a handle 21 by means of which the position of the slot with reference to the opening to the pipe 12 can be shifted and thus increase or diminish the outlet for the pulverized fuel as needed. The opening to the pipe 12 is represented by a broken circle in Fig. 3 to illustrate how the slot bisects it when in fully open position. I prefer that the said slot shall be closed when the handle 21 is shoved to the open position of the slot or nearly as shown in Fig. 3 shall be obtained when the handle 21 is pulled out to the extent permitted by a limiting stop 22 on the valve said stop abutting at that position against the hopper. Journaled above the valve is a brush 23 having a shaft 24 said brush adapted to agitate and sweep the fuel to the slot whence it falls or is drawn more or less by the suction of the fan to the pipe 12. The brush can be driven by means of a sprocket chain 25 connecting the shaft of the fan with the shaft of the brush it being preferable that the axial speed of the brush to the corresponding speed of the fanshall be roughly in the ratio of three nished by an electric motor (not shown) is lpest primarily coupled to the shaft of the The fan case or chest 13 is provided with a nozzlecl outlet as at 27 that is directed into a conical chamber 28 with air inlets as at 29 and 30; and from the smaller outlet end of this chamber the mixture of fuel and air is discharged into a suitable burner 31 of fire clay having a rounded rear wall at 32 adapted to impart a curvilinear or mixing motion to the combustible material.

In practice a container 33 filled with powdered fuel is placed and fitted on its shoulders in inverted position into the upper end of the hopper 10 and then the covers released as depicted in Fig. 2 to permit the discharge of the fuel into the hopper. When the valve 19 is set to an open position desired and the fan and brush driven the lat ter carries fuel to and across the slot permitting the discharge of a uniform quantity of fuel to the pipe 12. The brush keeps the fuel agitated at the region of the outlet, and the container is preferably of such construction that it serves as a cover to keep down any possible dust. The fuel together with air is drawn into the fan chest through pipe 16 and from the fan chest the mixture is propelled to nozzle 27 and chamber 28 where more air is entrained through inlets 29 and 30 and finally to the burner 31. At the burner the mixture is ignited With a match or piece of flaming paper and the fire thereafter maintained by a continuous supply of the fuel and air fed to the burner. This operation continues until the supply of fuel is purposely cut off or until the hop per is exhausted after which a freshly filled container may be substituted. There need be no troublesome interruption of the operation in the substitution of a fresh fuel container 33 because that substitution can be made before the fuel in the hopper is exhausted or if the supply in the hopper is exhausted the red heat of the burner will reignite the renewed supply provided the substitution is made with sulficientpromptitude. In this Way the operation may be continued for many days and the heat developed regulated from time to time according to changing conditions.

If it be desired to regulate the supply of air admitted the sizes of the air vents or any of them can be varied by any suitable means such, for example, as the hinged or sliding closure shown at 42.

The forms. of the parts can be changed without departing from the gist of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In means for feeding pulverized fuel to a burner, the combination with a hopper for the fuel having an outlet provided with a valve seat adjacent thereto, asliding valve on said seat provided with an opening inclined to the direction of movement of the valve the area of which opening is varied by changing the position of the valve on said seat and means for conducting and means for inipelling said fuel to the burner.

2. In means for feeding pulverized fuel to a burner, the combination with a hop )er for the fuel having an outlet provided with a valve seat adjacent thereto, a sliding valve, curved in cross section, on said seat provided with an opening inclined to the direction of movement of the valve, the area of which opening is varied by changing the po sition of the valve on said seat and means for conducting and means for impelling said fuel to the burner.

3. In means for feeding pulverized fuel to a burner, the combination with a hopper for the fuel having an outlet provided with a valve seat adjacent thereto, a sliding valve on said seat provided with an opening inclined to the direction of movement of the valve the area of which opening is varied by changing the position of the valve on said. seat, a brush working over said valve and means for conducting and means for impelling said fuel to the burner.

4, In means for feeding pulverized fuel to a burner, the combination with a hopper for the fuel having an outlet provided with a valve seat adjacent thereto, a sliding valve on said seat provided with an opening inclined to the direction of movement of the valve the area of which opening is varied by changing the position of the valve on said seat and means for conducting and means for impelling said fuel to the burner including a fan.

5. Means for feeding pulverized fuel to a burner including, in combination, a hopper for the fuel provided with an elongated valve seat having an outlet, a valve sliding lOl-lg'ltud'llltllly on said seat provided with an opening inclined to the path of movement of the valve adapted to vary the effective area of the discharge from the hopper, a rotary brush journ-aled in the hopper to turn on saidvalve and cooperate with the opening thereof to agitate the fuel at the point-of its escape from the hopper,- a fan chamber and fan therein, a conductor for the fuel from said valve to said chamber and means for conducting fuel froin said fan chamber to the burner.

ADLASKA LAYTON. 

